School dropout develops a custom-solutions software and mobile App solutions for companies.

Kennedy Mwaura dropped out of school for lack of fees only for him to discover his prowess in developing custom-solutions software and mobile App solutions for companies. .

To most young people, dropping out of school simply means
the end of a career and a bleak future for this makes them ineligible for 90%
of the jobs in Kenya but not for the case of Kennedy Mwaura alias Ken.

Born in Gatundu North Sub-County, Ken attended Jomo
Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) after graduating from
high school. However, he dropped out of
college in 2013 during his 2nd year in campus after his parents were unable to
raise the requisite fees to continue his parallel degree course in Bachelor of
Business Information Technology.

While this is by no means considered the path to success, Ken has
broken all odds to achieve what to many, would be considered to as just a
mirage.

Though his desire to run his own technology company seemed crushed
in an instant, this did not kill his resolve. After struggling for a
while in the village, Ken decided to try his luck in the city.

So, one fine Sunday afternoon, he left with a friend he had met
during a cousin's wedding to go and try their luck in Kangemi slums, Nairobi
with barely Ksh.200, a laptop and a few clothes.

“It really didn’t work out the way I thought. No job was
forthcoming and this frustrated me to a point that I almost lost hope,” he
recalls.

His turning point came the day he borrowed Ksh. 1,000 from his roommate
to go and do some unspecified project.

Ken in his office working on a mobile App.

“I just lied to him so that he could lend me some money. At around
10am, I left for a local pub, sat near the counter and ordered a bottle of
beer,” he explains.

Next to him was a man of Asian origin having a drink with a lady. As
the female bartender perused through a pile of receipts from the previous
night's sale, the man triggered a debateadvising her to seek for ways to automate her paperwork. He told
her that manual recording was tedious, repetitive, time wasting and was prone
to errors thus the need to switch to technology.

With my knowledge in IT, this kind of debate triggered my thinking
and got interested.

The bartender responded by saying that they were in the process of
acquiring a point of sale (POS) system, something the man dismissed and
insisted they should get a good system that would deliver their needs, citing his
frustrations to integrate the systems to run his four companies so as to
deliver an effective Fleet Management Information System for his Fleet
Company.

“I don’t know what came of me but I found myself jumping in with
assertion that I could develop such a system for him,” explained Ken.

A screenshot of the company's ERP system that can automate manufacturing companies, export/import companies and all companies that deal with product distribution.

“He looked at me, probably doubting if I really knew exactly what
I was saying,” he continued.

After a short discussion, he booked me an appointment to his
office in Mlolongo the following morning to discuss the modalities for the
contract.

At exactly 8am the following day, Ken was already in Mlolongo.

“I listened attentively as he took me through their operations,
documentations and everything involving the scope of work. A week down the line
and I had developed a prototype that impressed him so much. We signed our
contract and I received a Ksh. 20,000 cheque as a down payment,” he says.

Six weeks later, Ken had fully deployed the custom web-based
system for them, migrated the database, and trained their staff on how to
effectively run the new systems.

“The system worked perfectly well that my client opted to double
my payment from Ksh. 60,000 and paid me gave me a cheque of Ksh. 100,000. I
could not believe my eyes,” he exclaimed.

With the few resources he got, Ken partnered with a friend, Francis
Njoroge, to open a company called EWYN Solutions Ltd. that develops custom
solutions for specific business processes and custom software and mobile app
solutions for companies.

Mobile apps include a money remittance App, Tourism App, a Taxi App
that also accepts payment via Bitcoin and many more.

Some screenshot of the SACCO M.I.S

“Most businesses use off-the-shelf software or what are otherwise
known as Open Source systems. Such systems offer generic solutions and yet
businesses do not have generic problems. Each institution has its own unique and
specific operations that demand personalised systems to help them perform their
tasks in a specific way,” he notes.

Ken takes great pride in their systems which he says are modern and
web-based meaning that they can be accessed on multiple devices ranging from
computers, iPads, tablets and smartphones.

“We ensure that the custom systems are built to offer the solution
needed, as well as offer great business reports and analytics that are very
essential for the growth of a business.The key advantage is that our clients
get the exact solution that they need for their businesses, eliminating the
bulk and unnecessary processes involved in off-the-shelf systems as well as the
difficulties and expenses involved in customising downloadable systems,” he
says.

Ken adds that their systems are scalable enough to grow with the
business as the development of additional modules is easy and fast.

“It’s also good to add that since the business owner is in direct
touch with the system developer, it becomes very efficient to get system
support. Of importance is the intense security features a custom system offers
to secure data, unlike off-the-shelf systems that are vulnerable to malicious
attackers since their source code is available to so many developers.”